There are little things you can do to keep your workforce happy, such as having Liverpool office space with plenty of parking and places to buy lunch, but to keep your employees free from the levels of stress that really influence their lives both at home and work, it may take a little more action.
This year’s Workplace Stress Report, created by Perkbox and reported by Management Today, is aiming to uncover the whys and wherefores of stress in the workplace, so employers can look at how to problem solve it.
Studying 3,000 employers from across the country, the report found that the likelihood of an employee suffering from stress is related to age, gender and geography, as well as individual employers.
Geographically, workers from Cardiff were the most stressed at 70 per cent, however, Liverpool was the only Northern city that featured in the top 10 also. For Cardiff, the report finds that 85 per cent of recent job growth has come from workers commuting in from neighbouring communities. Saurav Chopra, CEO and Co-founder of Perkbox, says that this likely explains the issue: “Long commutes affect employees’ productivity and have a negative impact on mental wellbeing. The “time scarcity” they create can bring about unhealthy behaviour as employees try juggling multiple commitments at once”.
Men are more likely to be stressed at work than women, and when it comes to age, between 25 – 34 is the most stressful point of your working life.
In contrast to all these figures, only eight per cent of companies offer counselling and six per cent offer stress management.